100 Best Restaurants 2009: Dino

Cuisine: Rustic Italian cooking backed by one of the area’s best wine lists.

Mood: The glass-walled corner space—it used to be a bank—has its disadvantages, but when the wine is flowing and the place is jammed, Dino strikes a neat balance between the charm of a Little Italy–style neighborhood joint and the elegance of one of DC’s upscale Italian dining rooms.

Best for: A round of small plates and half pours of wine before a movie at the Uptown Theater or a leisurely, postshow repast fueled by lots of red wine.

Insider tips: Owner Dean Gold has positioned Dino as a premier destination for oenophiles. Wines more than $50 are a third off Sunday and Monday, and Tuesday and Thursday you can bring a bottle of your own at no charge.

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Logan Circle.